1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a jig apparatus and templates of the type adapted to guide a routing tool to prepare a diagonal corner insert for a countertop.
2. The Prior Art
Countertops, particularly those used in domestic kitchens, are prepared from a variety of surfaces such as tile and, more particularly, laminated plastic surfaces. Laminated plastic is commercially available from a variety of sources and in a variety of colors, patterns and textures. The countertop is prepared by obtaining sheets of laminated plastic which are cut to pattern and thereafter bonded to a suitable surface such as plywood or, more commonly, a pressed particle board. The countertop also generally includes a coved backsplash along the rear edge of the countertop and, customarily, a raised no-drip edge along the front edge of the countertop.
The no-drip edge includes a slight upraised ridge along the edge of the countertop and terminates in a downwardly depending lip extending below the bottom surface of the countertop. The raised ridge is called a nodrip edge because it prevents fluid spills from flowing off the edge of the countertop. This type of no-drip edge is referred to in the trade as a "bull nose" because of its bulbous appearance in cross section.
Laminated plastic countertops are generally prefabricated in a remote shop location and thereafter shipped to a point of installation in the domestic kitchen. The countertops are fabricated in a variety of shapes including straight, L-shaped, and U-shaped, or modifications of these various shapes. However, unless specific construction steps are taken, the underlying cabinet space in the corner covered by the countertop will be inaccessible since the two under-counter cabinets will adjoin at the inside corner preventing access to the space underlying the countertop corner. Accordingly, it is conventional practice to provide access with a narrow door which transects the corner and exposes a rotatable shelf arrangement commonly referred to as a Lazy Susan. An insert to the countertop advantageously (1) provides increased surface area to the countertop, (2) a more pleasing appearance, (3) extends the no-drip edge and (4) accommodates a wider access to an underlying rotatable shelf arrangement.
Customarily, the angled countertop is prepared by separately preparing two straight sections of countertop and thereafter joining the two sections in a miter. A segment is then cut from the inside corner of the joined countertop and replaced with a dimensionally corresponding insert which extends the surface of the countertop diagonally to transect the angle between the two sections. One of the triangular sections cut from an end of a straight section is used to fabricate the insert. To be accepted, the countertop incorporating the insert must be carefully prepared so that the surface presents a smooth profile with only very fine lines in the laminated plastic surface designating where the joinder has taken place. Historically, these corner inserts have been prepared by an individual craftsman expending several hours of meticulous labor carefully preparing the insert so that the countertop will be acceptable in a domestic kitchen environment.
In view of the foregoing, it would be a significant advancement in the art to provide an apparatus and method for preparing corner inserts for laminated plastic countertops accurately and with less expended time. The improvement should include a template apparatus which provides dimensionally corresponding female and male templates for preparing the corner to receive the insert and the insert for the corner. Apparatus should also be provided for securely engaging the templates on the countertop workpiece so as to provide a stable work platform for the same. Such an invention is disclosed herein.